Carandiru (2003)

This episodic film is set in São Paulo's House of Detention, referred to as Carandiru, one of Latin America's largest prison systems. 7,800 men serve time in a facility built to house a maximum of 3,000 prisoners. An Oncololgy Doctor (Luiz Carlos Vasconcelos) arrives in the jail to test patients for HIV infection. Seeing the disease, overcrowding, and rampant circulation of drugs, he notices the internal power structure among the prisoners. The doctor is moved to volunteer his services on a weekly basis. As his efforts begin to bear results, he gradually earns the respect of the prison community. Several narratives develop, including the attempted murder of Dagger (Milhem Cortaz), the solitary confinement of Chico (Milton Goncalves), and the romance between Lady Di (Rodrigo Santoro) and Too Bad (Gero Camilo). The doctor eventually establishes a routine and sees the prisoners as survivors. Tragically, everything leads to the violent conclusion: the October 2, 1992 prison riot known historically as the Carandiru Massacre. Policemen storm the prison and murder 111 unarmed inmates.

Based on a true story, "Estação Carandiru" (Carandiru Station), a memoir by Dr. Dráuzio Varella, the film's first moments are close-up and rough. The camera puts you inside the notoriously overcrowded and treacherous São Paulo prison, where two inmates argue over one's right to slit the other's throat. Dr. Varella said, "I have no right to tell a story like this, if someone's going to identify the person I'm talking about. This guy didn't tell me his story so I can use in a book. He told me because I’m a doctor and he trusted his doctor. However, the story should be told."

The DVD emphasizes the films historical context and political argument: in addition to director Babenco’s mostly narrative commentary, a "making of" documentary, it includes seven deleted scenes, and historical footage of prison activities from 1928 (when prisoners were enrolled in music and math classes, and rewarded for “excellent behavior"), as well as the demolition of the prison in 1993 in an effort to destroy the horrific memories it held. André Abujamra composed the original music. Hector Babenco, Fernando Bonassi, and Victor Navas wrote the screenplay based on Dr. Dráuzio Varella's book. Hector Babenco directed. In Portuguese with subtitles in English and other languages.

Blue Citrus Hearts (2003)

Sam (Joshua Peter Laurenzi) and Julien (Paul Foster) are high school best friends in Memphis who fall somewhere between the nerds and the losers. Sam has an abusive father (Mark Pergolizzi) and a cold-hearted mother (Lee Ann Roberts). Julien's parent is a single mom (Emily Fry) who provides him with an abundance of love. Both have girlfriends and neither has a job. Sam struggles against his father, his oblivious girlfriend, and thoughts of suicide clash while his affection deepens for Julien. He constantly writes in a journal he will not let anyone see and hopes to take guitar lessons. Julien haunts coffee shops and daydreams.

Both have come to realize something is missing from their lives, and this sense of loss is diminished only when they are together. Julien is a moody boy, and his girlfriend Arielle (Alex Booth) has just about had it with him. The only bright light in his life is his friendship with Sam. They go together to the café, show each other their secret places, and wrestle on the grass. It's obvious they're in love. But these are teenagers--and they're just not ready. Then one night Julien shows Sam a poem he's written called "Blue Citrus Hearts" and it's about his crush on his best friend. Sam and Julien struggle through this film, trying to communicate with themselves, with friends, and finally with each other--discovering what they fear most, that they are gay. The film ends a bit too quickly.

This is a bittersweet tale of two boys in love. It's a slowly paced, heartfelt, gritty, honest little movie that has the power to move you profoundly. Sometimes there is arthouse pretentiousness that is appropriate here, revealing a deceptively simple story with complex emotional issues. The teenage boys from extraordinarily opposite homes find their way through friendship and sexuality while dealing with the complexities of high school, teenage romance, angst, fitting in, the desire for popularity, and the need to be understood and alone. They are unremarkable, ordinary boys learning to cope with emotions they fear and possibly can't understand.

Experimental in style, with lines of poetry scratched into film stock, sometimes jarring editing and a non-linear story, it is a distinctly non-Hollywood experience. It has a freshness and an originality missing from most films today. The soundtrack is strong, and the local music certainly adds flavor to the movie, although it is too loud. It's basically a noisy film. The actors are pimply high school students, not 25 year-olds playing high school students. Another important statement it makes is in the new millenium it is still not OK to be gay. It may be fashionable to accept homosexuality on TV and in movies, but in the real world gay men are still shunned, still legislated against, and still murdered because of their sexual orientation. Viewers comments are mixed--some love it and some do not. Morgan Jon Fox wrote the screenplay and directed.